Remembering to have Gratitude

The holiday season is well in effect. It's the time of year we all tell ourselves to be thankful. To be grateful for what we have. We all have moments of despair and feelings that everything is going wrong in our lives. I struggle with exactly that.

What I’m learning is that I have to put into practice a daily gratitude playlist in my mind. First, I take steps to put myself in the right frame of mind. I start out with taking some deep breaths when I first wake up and stretch while still in bed. This helps me feel relaxed and refreshed. Next I take my fur baby, Levin out for his morning walk. During this walk I continue to take deep breaths and exhale deeply. This is especially helpful when I'm feeling more anxious than usual. Along the walk I take care to notice all the details around me, the sound of birds chirping, the breeze I feel against my face, the smell in the air, the cars driving by. Doing this helps remind me how massive this world is and although my part in it is small in comparison, it still matters.

Once I’m back in the house and Levin is fed, I head to the bathroom sink to brush my teeth. Sometime ago I realized how many random thoughts float in and out of my mind while brushing my teeth. Here's the thing. I want to live more purposefully. One of the simplest ways for me to start doing so was my gratitude playlist. While brushing my teeth I purposefully put these thoughts into the forefront of my mind.

My gratitude playlist:

First and foremost I am grateful for just waking up because just being able to live another day is amazing. None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. So it is on us to live everyday with purpose and energy as if it were our last.

I’m grateful for the man by side. He loves, understands and cares for me. It means a lot to have someone there who just loves you. Reminding myself of that is important also so I don’t take him for granted.

Same goes for my family. Although we don’t always see eye to eye and we bump heads hard sometimes, my mom, dad and sister are also something to definitely be grateful for.

My fur baby Levin. Ok some may think it’s a little weird to include a pet but most likely those are non pet owners... lol. When I’m alone and feel down, Levin knows it and does what he can, in his own way to comfort me. Believe it or not he knows, and he won’t leave my side in those tough moments. I mean look at this face...who can resist a smile while looking at that?

The job. Although I'm not thrilled with the job I have I am grateful to have a job to speak of. This job provides me with the means to keep a roof above my head and Levin's. It feeds us both and allows for spiritually rich experiences, like travel, which I love and want to do more of.

I feel the most at peace when I'm in nature. So waking up to another beautiful day whether sunny or cloudy with rain. I am grateful for the natural beauty that surrounds me.

As I work on expanding my mind and digging further into myself this gratitude playlist helps keep me in check. It's so easy to get pulled into all the negativity that surrounds us. In the age of social media it's constantly forced upon us. I'm all for being well informed but it can be overwhelming. In order to see the brighter side of life I find this gratitude playlist and similar practices go a long way.

Of course it isn't always going to be easy but that's why I refer to it as a practice. It's something you must continue to practice daily. I know I have to. We also have to remember there are so many others in the world that are truly struggling. There people in other parts of the world who don't have a roof over their head or clean water, food, education, freedom of speech and more. Even in this country there are some similar issues and although the unemployment rate is at an all time low, there's still people who aren't working, just not as many as before.

Another way of looking at our own life's struggles is to realize that the hard parts are as much a part of us as the easy & good parts. For better or worse, they make us who we are. I invite you to join me in taking a step back and really looking hard and honestly at our lives and see it for what it really is. It's LIFE and I am immensely grateful for it. I'll leave you with this last note on gratitude. Being grateful shouldn't be just a holiday thing. It should be something we keep on our minds throughout the years, everyday single day.

Remember to have gratitude continuously.

What's your gratitude playlist look like?

Comment below & tell me what you're grateful for? If you like this post & think it will resonate with someone you know please share it.

As always, if you're reading this, thank you.

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